Are you interested in getting more involved with your association? Are you looking for opportunities to connect to your peers? Work group participation is a great way to do that.
At their December meeting, the Hospitality Minnesota Board of Directors voted to convene two new work groups — Programming and Membership — and formalize the structure on another — Advocacy. In March, they reviewed and approved the draft charters and began to recruit members, extending the invitation to participate to the broader membership.
The purpose of the work groups is to bring focus to the highest priorities areas and amplify the efforts of the association’s professional staff. Groups will bring member insight, strategic definition and support of tactical plans. Terms of service will run for one year, and continuation of each will be determined through an annual assessment process.
Work groups are different from the Standing Committees of the Association’s Board, which are formalized in the organization’s bylaws. Standing Committees include the Executive Committee, Finance Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee.
The two new work groups are focused on Programming and Membership, and their draft charters, respectively, call on them to:
Programming Work Group:
The Programming Work Group is charged by the Board of Directors (Board) of HM to work with the Vice President of Member and Community Engagement on the design and delivery of compelling and inspiring programming that brings immediate value to attendees. They will do this by developing the annual program calendar and working to secure support, shape the topical focus, and encourage attendance and participation. The outcomes must:
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- result in meaningful returns on investment for members – financial and otherwise.
- directly support member retention and recruitment.
Membership Work Group:
The Membership Work Group supports the Association’s long-term vision for its membership that is tied to the annual financial and operational strategy and plan. This is accomplished by articulating the annual membership revenue plan and identifying targeted recruitment and retention goals in collaboration with the HM CEO and staff. The Work Group serves to inform the value proposition and its members participate in outreach efforts to build and strengthen relationships with both key accounts and the membership base.
The Advocacy Work Group, which has been around since 2019, will now have a more formal structure, with board member serving as co-chairs. The charter for this work group is:
The Advocacy Work Group serves as the delegated authority of the Board of Directors to support the policy and advocacy work, led by the Director of Government Relations and the CEO, by helping to identify policy priorities, bringing business intelligence to inform and shape association positions and serving as key advocates with members and elected officials.
All members are still invited and encouraged to participate in the monthly Advocacy Work Group calls.
If you are interested in participating in one these engagement opportunities, please contact Ann Kirby at ann@hospitalitymn.com right away. We expect to convene the first meeting of each in the coming weeks.
